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I've been pretty overwhelmed about space lately. Our culture really loves to visualize and imagine space exploration, life out there, and it's something that really gets stuck in your mind and it has to be expressed in someway at some point. This post is my way of saying: the space rocks, get inspired by it like I am.
So I went searching for cool space inspired artworks to share with you, and I think I've managed to assemble a good set of cool pieces for you. From photography, to retro space art, here you'll find some sweet art! I hope you enjoy these, and hopefully it will get your creative juices flowing. For more information on each image, just click on it. Cheers! ;)

Maka Zedelashvili is an illustrator from Tbilisi, Georgia. In this post we will display her work for the book " Galaktionology " which refers to the bohemian life of XX century Georgian poet -galaktion tenants and activities. Enjoy!
For more from Maka Zedelashvili visit behance.net/mzeart.

Back in the days, business cars were called trade cards and businessman of those days would distribute to clients and potential customers just like we do now. The design on this cards is the only thing that actually changed over the year. Check out how amazing was the design on these.

Take a look inside the studio of traditional sign painter Antonio "Tj" Guzzardi and get lost on this amazing space full of vintage signs and beautiful lettering.
All photos by Tatanja Ross.
For more from TJ visit tjpinstriping.blogspot.com.au.
Traditional HAND PAINTED Vintage style signs and art. Tj's been pulling dagger lines since he started building his first hot rod with his dad at the tender age of 15. Ten years later his still doing what he loves plus a whole lot more.This blog is all about life,loves and art. Spending his days designing and covered in paint with his two crazy boys and darling wife.Fueled by coffee and ideas... he's living the dream.

Last week we posted a tutorial showing how to create simple artwork in Illustrator and then in Photoshop we added a few effects to make it look old and with that vintage/hipster feel. Some people asked about some of the steps in Photoshop so I decided to make a simple walkthrough about how to use Photoshop to create this kind of effect. It's a simple technique but it can be very handy for this kind of artwork.
So in this tutorial I will show you how to create a simple vintage look stencil in Photoshop. The whole process will take around one hour and you won't need anything special besides time and a few dirty brushes.
Step 1
Create the artwork you want to apply the effect. I used Adobe Illustrator to create this simple stencil.
Step 2
In Photoshop now, place the stencil. Add a new layer and fill it with black, that will be the background. With layer style, apply a white Color Overlay in the stencil.
Step 3
Group the black layer with the white stencil and convert it to a smart object. Filter>Convert to Smart Filters. Apply a Gaussian Blur, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 4 pixels for the Radius.
Step 4
Go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels. Change the values until you cannot see the blur effect anymore. After that make sure that the Adjustment Layer is clipped to the layer (Layer>Create Clipping Mask).
Step 5
Create a new layer on top of the stencil and then with a regular dirty brush add some of the texture.
Step 6
Group the stencil layer with the brush layer and then change the Blend Mode of the folder to Lighter Color. Also add an image for the background.
Step 7
My image looks really bright and doesn't create enough contrast with the logo. So go to Image>Adustments>Hue and Saturation. Reduce the Saturation a little bit and also the Lightness. The values will depend on the image you will be using.
Step 8
Go to Image>Adjustments>Levels. Change the Output Values and also the grey Input value to make the image much darker.
Step 9
Now go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Photo Filter. Use the Warming Filter at 65% Density.
Step 10
Convert the folder with the stencil and the brush effect to a smart filter. Go to Filter>Filter Gallery>Brush Strokes>Accented Edges. Play with the values until you have an effect that looks natural.
Conclusion
Reduce the opacity of the logo to 95% depending on the background. You can also use levels to make it not so bright besides that, the design is pretty much done. I believe this little step by step might help those that were having some difficults during the last tutorial. Now it's up to you, have fun and a great 2014 to you all.
Download Photoshop file
Click here to download the Photoshop file used for this tutorial

Just in time for the 4th of July holiday, what better moment to enjoy a sunny gallery of summery shots by the talented Ana Dias of Portugal. "Big Girls Don't Cry" is Dias' visually stunning work inspired by the 50s pin-up girl. The overall vibe is playful and unique and in the end, makes us want to smile from ear to ear.
Ana Dias was born in Oporto (Portugal) in 1984. Having graduated in 2007 from the Escola Superior Artística do Porto (Oporto Superior School of Art), she went straight into teaching Serigraphy, Lithography and Engraving at this institution. Her background in plastic arts led Ana to photography, which came to be her favorite way of artistic expression. The creation of colorful scenes, filled with playful and lively characters styled in glamorous fashion, are the key features that make Ana's way of working unique. Her style is very much influenced by the pop culture, and brings us back to the light eroticism of the 50's pin-up girls... but the art she creates transcends the photographic image. It tells us a story that makes us smile, and that reminds us that beauty exists and is real. Currently the artist works for several renowned brands in the field of photographic production, and her images have been increasingly noticed and acclaimed internationally in the circle of the visual arts." - 500px.com
For more information visit Ana Dias' portfolio at http://500px.com/anadiasphotography - make sure to follow her to get more amazing and inspiring photos.

We've always seen things from our time designed in vintage style. From advertising for Twitter and Facebook, to iPods from a past era. This time there's something fresh for all of those who love modern vintage design: modern games designed as Atari cartridges.
Gotta say I've spent many hours playing some of these games, like Age of Empires III, and it's really cool to see it like that. Makes you think of how rustic these game would've been if released 20 years ago. These are the work of American designer StarRoivas (didn't find her name). You can check more of her Atari cartridges at her DeviantART portfolio. Also, what other games would you like to see as vintage cartridges? Tell us! Cheers. ;)

We post about new digital artists and designers most of the time, we also post about different styles and how designers and artists try to bring references from the past and adapt for the needs of the present. Last week I read that the Mad Men crew got magazine illustrating guru Brian Sanders, a 75-year-old artist now living in Cambridge, England—to illustrate the iconic poster. With that in mind, nothing like feature another amazing illustrator from the 60s, Tom McNeely.
Born in Toronto in 1935, Tom McNeely studied with two prominent Canadian artists before setting off on his own highly successful career. His distinctively-styled portraits of some of the world's most famous personalities have been featured in numerous museums, and his paintings for Canada's Expo '67 and the 1976 Olympics brought him worldwide fame.
MacLean's magazine
Chatelaine magazine
Publication unknown
McClelland & Stewart Publishers
"Philatelic 1st Day Covers for Canadian and American Postage Stamps, 1978-2006"
McClelland & Stewart
MacLean's magazine
"Before I begin to paint, I immerse myself in my subject. I learn all I can about the person and the age when he lived. Only then, when I feel completely familiar with the subject -- almost as if I can see him firsthand -- do I begin a work of art."
Chatelaine magazine
Chatelaine magazine
Canadian Magazine
McNeely's paintings of Golda Meir, Muhammed Ali and Cardinal Leger have been proudly featured in books about these great world leaders, and they have won McNeely lasting acclaim. Other works include stunning portraits of celebrities from the 1950s like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, as well as noted American composers, conductors and folk singers. He has also created spectacular paintings featuring Diana, Princess of Wales. Via http://www.unicover.com/

Packaging design is one of the most important fields of design, it's holds direct communication between the product and the consumer and it is always nice to see the evolution of the field. From materials to typography, packaging design has evolved a lot, however good design is long lasting as you can see in this selection of really cool vintage packages.
Listerine
Soda: Sprite
Soda: 7UP
Soda
Quik
Pringles
Misc

Today I selected an amazing Case Study by the illustrator Michael Doret. He will take you on a detailed journey of how he designed this awesome Vintage Neon Sign for Sweet. Take a look step by step and follow the notes of the author for specific details.
For more from Michael Doret visit michaeldoret.com and behance.net/MichaelDoret
It was unanimously felt that this logo should resemble a classic theater marquee. I had an image in my head of what that might look like for this logo. But for something like this I always need do some research, to help me get the right attitude and not to just rely on my memory. There are some fantastic theater marquees in downtown Los Angeles (where I now live), but I found one that really was going in the direction I was visualizing in, of all places, Erie, Pennsylvania—The Warner:
Although this marquee was a bit too intricate for my taste, and there was no neon (I must have the neon look in a marquee design!), I loved the whole sun-ray thing going on behind the letters, and decided that this marquee—although it would not be my only point of reference—would be my main inspiration point. So I started puttin my thoughts to paper:
In the first rough above, I was heading in a direction, but still groping around for specifics. By the second rough, I was firmly on my way to solving the problem. And by the third rough, more or less nailed the basics of the design:
At this point, the design was approved, and I went on to build the design in Illustrator. I do it in values of gray before assigning color, just so I know that certain shapes are separating from others properly. Below I’m building the graphic over a template of the rough pencil drawing (above). To be honest there were many, many more steps than what you see depocted below, but it would be impossible to show them all, and very difficult for a viewer to decipher exactly what’s going on. Suffice it to say that I built this art in layers, and in many ways it may have been similar to building an actual neon sign:
I didn’t want to literally appropriate the color from the Warner marquee, so I started doing my own color solutions, but I didn’t think they worked the way I wanted them to:
So I pretty much went back to a color palette more reminiscent of that Warner marquee:
Building the art like a real sign apparently had its advantages because the client loved the art so much that he decided to have it made into a real lifesize neon sign for inside the store.
To do this would be quite an elaborate project, and so the client and his Store Architect enlisted the services of SignMeister Robert M Fitch (who was already working on other signage in Sweet!) to oversee the implementation of this complicated project which included three types of sign illumination: chasing light bulbs, neon script and internal LED illumination. So together with Robert’s assistance I’ve put together a very abbreviated photographic synopsis of how this sign was assembled and finally installed in Sweet!. I think the sign really turned out well, and ended up looking surprisingly close to my graphic.
This is what’s called open face channel lettering which, in the case of a connected script type, becomes a “sign can” which defines the letterform and houses the neon. It’s constructed from sheet metal, the returns (sides) are hand formed and welded to the letterform back plate. My Illustrator vector art was used to cut out the basic shapes. As in my art, the letters were formed out of only four separate pieces:
Robert specified different colors for the inside and the outside of the can lettering. Here the different planes of the letters are being masked off and painted:
Here the sign box in which everything goes is being created. The sheet metal sides are being pieced together, and you can see some of the specialized tools—the sign hammers—in the foreground:
These are routed Sintra pieces that are applied to the sign face and perimeter details to help create dimension. The scale of the sign wasn’t large enough to form some of my details out of sheet metal, so this non-traditional material was used since the sign would only be used indoors:
Robert designed and had fabricated side extensions for the marquee, nicely picking up some of the design elements of the sign graphic:
When the sign’s neon and chase lights are illuminated, its color appearance changes dramatically:
For more from Michael Doret visit michaeldoret.com and behance.net/MichaelDoret

The Pixelmator team has just launched the new version of their really cool photo editing tool called Pixelmator 2.1 Cherry. We have been playing with a beta version for a few days and we are really impressed with the new features especially the new Effect Browser and of course the speed.
To give you an extra incentive to play with Pixelmator we will show you how to design a really cool vintage style image and the best part, we will give out 3 copies of the new Pixelmator and an iPod Touch.
So the rules are simple. Download the Pixelmator file and come up with a version based on this image. You have total freedom to do anything you want. Once you get your design, just post it at http://raw.abduzeedo.com/submit with the title Pixelmator Contest: Title of your design.
Step 1
Open Pixelmator and create a new document. I am using 2880x1800 pixels. After that import a photo. I am using a photo of cherries by kksummers found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tkksummers/2561778086/.
Step 2
One of the coolest new features in Pixelmator 2.1 is the new Effect Browser. You can browse and preview the effects in real time. Really cool. So Let's start adjusting the image. Scroll down to the Color Adjustments.
Step 3
Select Levels and then adjust the Gray to 55%. The easiest way to apply the effect is by either double clicking or drag the thumbnail of the filter to the image.
Step 4
Select Exposure and change it to -10.
Step 5
Scroll down and go to Vintage. Vintage is a new set of presets that create nice vintage filters like Instagram. Select Wormwood and change the Saturation to -10 and the Vignette to 100%.
Step 6
Select the Rectangle Shape. Add a white rectangle in your design.
Step 7
Add another rectangle with the Rectangle Shape tool. Then duplicate it and position the new ones like the image below.
Step 8
Add another rectangle, this time in black. Position it in the end of the big retangle and click on the little gear icon on the top left of the canvas window. Select Make Editable. Move the vertices to create a sort of 3D ribbon effect. Use the image below for reference.
Step 9
With the Type Tool (T) add the texts Pixelmator and Cherry using the font Mensch http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=mensch. For the Pixelmator text use black and for the Cherry text use white.
Step 10
With the Rectangle Shape tool add another rectangle, this time like a line going from the edge to the word Cherry. After that duplicate 3 times to create lines like the image below.
Step 11
Add another text, this time the "2.1". Then with the Ellipse Shape tool, create a circle underneath the 2.1.
Step 12
Group all these shapes and texts, then change the Blending of the group to Screen. That way the black will be transparent creating a really nice cut out effect.
Step 13
Go to Layer>Add Layer Mask. Then with the Brush Tool (B). Select the Grunge Brushes preset and paint with black a few dirty areas like the image below.
Step 14
Select the photo layer and then drag the CMYK filter to the image. Use the image below for the values. The idea of this effect is to create a sort of halftone style to the image.
Conclusion
You can rotate the Pixelmator to add more style or you can even rotate everything. The idea is to explore and that's why we are runing this tutorial and giveway. We want you to download the Pixelmator file and create a new version using the new Pixelmator 2.1 Cherry.
We will pick the 3 winners that will get a license of the new Pixelmator and for the first place we will have an iPod Touch as well.
Download the Pixelmator file
Download the Pixelmator file used for this tutorial

A few weeks ago we posted a tutorial showing how to create a hipster text effect using Pixelmator. Now we decided to show you the same effect using Photoshop CS6. As we had said, we will be doing that in Fireworks and CSS as well. So stay tuned.
So in this tutorial we will show you how to create a simple text effect with a very trendy hipster look. We will use just basic filters and layer styles to achieve the effect. The whole process won't take you more than 30 minutes.
Step 1
Open Photoshop CS6 and create a new document. The one I created is 2560x1600 pixels. After that fill the background layer with #e4cba9.
Step 2
With the Horizontal Type Tool (T) add a text using the font Sulivan. You can download it at http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=sullivan. Use the same font as the background and use the fill type for the font.
Step 3
Duplicate the font layer and gange the Blend Mode to Overlay. Chage the font type to Sullivan Bevel.
Step 4
Duplicate the layer again and change the Blend Mode to Overlay and use the Sullivan Regular for the font.
Step 5
Select the text layer created on step 2. Duplicat the layer and change the Blend Mode to Multiply. Move it 1px down and 1 pixel left.
Step 6
Keep duplicating the layer and moving down and left to create a nice 3D effect.
Step 7
After you duplicate a few times will have an effect like the one in the image below.
Step 8
Group all layers used to create the 3D effect and then merge them into one layer only. After that go to Layer>Layer Styles>Color Overlay. Use #c66d33 for the Color with Multiply for the Blend Mode.
Step 9
Let's create another 3D effect but now going to the top right.
Step 10
Repeat the same process to merge the layers into one and apply the Color Overlay, then go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 7.5 pixels for the Radius.
Step 11
Go to Filter>Blur>Motion Blur. Use 45º for the Angle and 50 pixels for the Distance.
Step 12
With the Rectangle Tool (U), create a rectangle in the center of the document, below the texts and just above the background. Go to Layer>Layer Style>Patter Overlay. Use Graphy 80 by 80 pixels patter from Subtlepatterns.com. Change the Blend Mode to Linear Burn.
Step 13
Add a complement text using the font Mensch. You can download it at http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=mensch. Repeat the same process to create the little 3D effect.
Step 14
Add a new layer on top of the others and then fill it with anoter pattern from subtlepatterns.com. I am using Rcocky Wall. For the Blend Mode use Multiply at 50%.
Step 15
Go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Photo Filter. Use Sepia at 60%
Conclusion
You can duplicate all layers and merge them into one, then apply the Noise filter to add a nice texture on top of the design. The idea of this tutorial was just to show you how to create a simple vintage look typography effect using photoshop. We did that in Pixelmator before and now in Photoshop. The next one will be in CSS :) I hope you enjoy it and have fun trying to create your own.
Download Photoshop File
Click here to download the Photoshop file used for this tutorial

It's funny how big of a roll typography had on the old days when we didn't have computers to create all kinds of crazy graphics as we do today. Most designs relied on nothing but type and the cool mixes they had with the blend of colors was just amazing and very inspiring. So I selected a few pieces to bring us back in time and get some vintage inspiration. Enjoy!

Last year we published a tutorial showing how to create a nice badge in Photoshop and Illustrator. Now we decided to do the same, or similar effect using Pixelmator and its new vector tools. The result is very good and there are some nice techniques to overcome the lack of some more complex shapes.
So in this tutorial we will show you how to create complex shapes in Pixelmator and add round corners to it. After that we will show you how to make it look like an old badge using textures and some basic filters and blending.
Step 1
Open Pixelmator and create a new document. I am using 1680x1050 pixels. After that using the new vector tools, select the Rectangle Shape and add a square by holding the shift key.
Step 2
Duplicate the square and rotate it 30º.
Step 3
Duplicate the rotated square, then go to Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal. You will have the base of our badge.
Step 4
Select the 3 squares and merge them into a layer. Layer>Merge Layers. After that go to FIlter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 7 for the radius.
Step 5
Go to Image>Levels. Change the Black to 86%, the grey to 88% and white to 90%. After that you will have a nice shape with rounded corners. If you want it to be more rounded you can use a higher value for the blur in the previous step.
Step 6
Go to Filter>Color>False Color. Use red for the color.
Step 7
Duplicate the shape and rotate it to have more sides on the badge.
Step 8
Change the color of one of the layers to blue and change the Blending to Multiply.
Step 9
Select both layers and merge them. Then with the Magic Wand Tool (W) select the center area. After that use black for the false color.
Step 10
Now let's start adding some text. I used a font called Carnevalee Freakshow for the font. Also used the Rectangle Shape Tool to add some other elements.
Step 11
I added more text using another font, called Birch Std for the words San Francisco and Abduzeedo. Also change the opacity of some text to 30% white.
Step 12
Let's add some texture. The one I used is from Subpatterns.com and can be found here: http://subtlepatterns.com/patterns/paper.png
Use one layer with it for the background and another on top of the other layers. With the one on top go to Image>Levels. Use 95% for Black, 99% for the Grey and 100% for White. Then change the Blending to Screen and the opacity to 60%.
Step 13
Select the badge with the text layers and duplicate them. After that merge the duplicated layers into one and go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 5.2px for the Radius.
Step 14
Change the Blending to Hard Light at 60%. You might need to delete a bit of the center area to make the text more visible.
Step 15
Duplicate all layers and merge them again into one. Then go to Image>Desaturate. You can change the opacity of this layer to 60% to make the colors less vibrant or...
Conclusion
You can have the layer in black and white, which is my favorite. So the idea of this tutorial was to show you how to create some more complex shapes using Pixelmator vector tools. You can go much further and add more details, but that now is up to you :)
Conclusion
You can have the layer in black and white, which is my favorite. So the idea of this tutorial was to show you how to create some more complex shapes using Pixelmator vector tools. You can go much further and add more details, but that now is up to you :)
Download the Pixelmator File
Click here to download the Pixelmator file used for thist tutorial

Vintage looking photography is super trendy especially with so many apps for Android and iPhone, apps like Instagram, Hipstmatic and so on. The vintage look is cool and easy to create in Pixelmator especially light leaks. That's why I decided to give it a try.
In this tutorial I will show you how to add a super cool vintage look to your photos in Pixelmator 2.0. The tutorial is very simple, it has 10 steps only and I'm sure you will have a lot of fun playing around with your photos.
Step 1
Open the photo you want to apply the vintage look in Pixelmator. The one I'm using is from ssuaphotos called beauty young woman blowing soap bubbles in summer day and you can find it here: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-57812896/stock-photo-beauty-young-woman…
Step 2
Duplicate the layer of the photo and go to Image>Colorize. Reduce the Saturation to 25 and keep the Lightness at 0.
Step 3
With the layer you just applied the Colorized adjustment selected go to Layer>Add Layer Mask. After that with the Brush Tool (B) and a very soft brush with grey for the color start painting on the mask over the soap bubble and her face in order to hide that part of the layer. The idea is to let her face and the soap bubble in color while the rest in that sort of sepia tone.
Step 4
Add a new layer and the with the Paint Bucket Tool (N) fill it with black. After that with the Brush Tool (B) and white for the color start painting on the center of the layer. Use the image below for reference, also if you want you can apply a Gaussian Blur to make it more subtle.
Step 5
Change the Blending of the layer to Multiply at 30% in order to create a vignette effect.
Step 6
Add a layer on top of the others and with the Paint Bucket Tool (N) fill it with black, after that with the Brush Tool (B) and red for the color paint some spots that you want to create a light leak effect. Once you have the red spots, still with the Brush Tool, select yellow for the color and then paint some smaller yellow spots over the red ones. Use the image below for reference.
Tip: Use the motion blur with 90º angle to make the effect more realistic.
Step 7
Change the Blending to Screen to create a really nice light leak effect.
Step 8
Repeat the same thing to create the flares effect over her shoulder.
Step 9
Select all layers and duplicate them, after that, with all the duplicated copies selected go to Layer>Merge Layers. You will have one layer with all the effects merged. Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 10 for the Radius.
Step 10
Duplicate this layer once, you will have 2 blurry layers. With the one on top change the Blending to Screen at 50% and the one that is beneath, use Soft Light at 50%.
Layers Order
Conclusion
You can add an old paper texture like a did in the final result, I'm using an texture from Shutterstock which you can find it here. For the Blending I used Multiply at 20%. Notice in the previous step that the light leaks layers are on top of the others, even though we have the merged layers. That's because I wanted to increase the strength of the light effect. Now it's up to you trying it with your own images.
Download Pixelmator File
Download the Pixelmator file used for this tutorial

Fake Studio worked with a few old maps covers made by The Sanborn Maps Co. edited at the beginning of the twelve century. They found those maps and fell in love with those type compositions so they decided to remake one of this old covers using 3D modern technics.
Fake Studio is a design, illustration and motion graphics production company, located in Barcelona, Spain. Check out more of their work on http://www.fakestudio.tv
Original Composition
Process
Final Composition
Detail
For more information visit http://www.fakestudio.tv/fake/

Christmas time is a great opportunity to find time and enjoy the holiday with family and friends. Every time, there's Christmas, there's just ads everywhere we look. It got me inspired to look and share this collection of vintage Christmas ads, what really stroked me is the ads were so simple and yet so informative. Also it's also great to see the needs of people really differ from our present time.
Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect. - Oren Arnold
You can find more vintage Christmas ads by visiting this Flickr.